Suspect in child porn case awaits extradition

By Bob Gardinier

Updated 2:36 pm, Wednesday, April 2, 2014

An alleged child pornographer from Troy who was the target of a nationwide manhunt until his capture Friday in Florida is awaiting extradition to Albany.

Jesse Sawyer Jr., 25, who was arrested in Pinellas Park, Fla., on an FBI warrant charging him with the felony of production of child pornography, waived a hearing Monday before a Florida federal magistrate and will now be returned to Albany for arraignment.

"It's up to the U.S. marshals now to come and pick him up," said Amy Filjones, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tampa, Fla.

Sawyer was caught in a commercial part of Pinellas Park shortly after 2 p.m. Friday, police said. He was alone in a parking lot and did not resist police, Florida authorities said.

Sawyer is accused in the federal warrant of filming himself having sexual contact with three little girls all under the age of 6 and offering the images on the Internet, federal authorities said.

He faces at least 15 years on the federal charges.

Sawyer's arrest ended a manhunt that started March 19 in the Capital Region. A federal judge in Albany issued the warrant for his arrest March 18, according to police.

Pinellas Park police nabbed Sawyer on Thursday night but could not immediately confirm the existence of an arrest warrant, so they let him go. After a brief search, they arrested him the next day. He is in jail without bail.